A Visit to Distant Shores
by EndlessWire94
Summary: Sagwa and her family visit a foreign island, where they meet some very special friends.
1. Chapter 1

**The products of a crazy little idea of the Foolish Magistrate knowing a Sudrian VIP from the same time frame! :P**

**I do not own/endorse Sagwa or Thomas.**

Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins

Sagwa, Dongwa and Sheegwa were in the middle of their regular hour of calligraphy practice, when the Magistrate came into the study to see how they were progressing. "Outstanding work as usual, Sagwa!" he remarked, giving her an affectionate scratch behind the ear. "Your artistic skills will surely impress Sir Henry!"

The kittens all felt quite intrigued by this comment. "Who's Sir Henry?" wondered Sagwa.

Dongwa shrugged. "Beats me. Now let's get on with this writing: an afternoon of Kung Fu is calling my name!"

That afternoon, Sagwa met Fu-Fu and Shei-Hu in the palace garden for a game of Ti Jianzi. As they played, she noticed the Magistrate and Tai-Tai strolling through the courtyard together. Tai-Tai looked very high-strung, even more so than usual. "Are you sure it's a good idea to plunge our darling daughters into all this?" she frowned. "It could be quite a culture shock for them!"

"Don't fret, my apprehensive apricot," soothed her husband. "This will be the perfect way to introduce the girls to more of the outside world!"

"_Culture shock"? "The outside world"? _Sagwa thought to herself. _What_'_s all _that _about?_

"Sagwa? Hello?!" It was Shei-Hu. "Hey! I've kinda been calling your name for the last ten seconds! In case you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of a game here!"

"Oh, right! Sorry!" Sagwa called back. The trio resumed play, but Sagwa's head just wasn't in the game. After several failed attempts to keep the shuttlecock in the air, she sighed, then turned and headed back toward the palace. "You guys keep playing!" she called over her shoulder. "I've got other things on my mind!" Fu-Fu and Shei-Hu exchanged puzzled looks.

That evening, after the Cook had served the Miao family their dinner, he joined the Reader, who had just arrived, for a chat at the kitchen table. "It was so kind of the Magistrate to let us take some time off, while he and the imperial family are away," the Cook said.

Sagwa overheard this, and was so surprised she choked on a mouthful of fish. "Sagwa!" Mama Miao cried in alarm. "Are you alright?" Once Dongwa had given her a few good whacks on the back, Sagwa _was_ alright, but very annoyed. "Mama, Baba," she burst out, "strange things have been happening all day! First the Magistrate mentions this Sir Henry guy, then there's talk of culture shock, and now, on top of _those_ things, the imperial family's going away! _What _is going on?!"

"Now, now, Sagwa; all in good time," soothed Baba Miao. "The Magistrate has made plans for the imperial family to visit an old friend of his, Sir Henry John Norramby. They met each other long ago, when Sir Henry visited our village."

"Okay," Sagwa replied slowly. "What about this culture shock thing?"

"Well you see, dear, Sir Henry is Duke of the Island of Sodor, off the northwest coast of England," explained Mama. Now Sagwa understood why Tai-Tai had been so reluctant earlier: foreign countries like England were far more "modernised" than China. True, foreigners _had_ visited their province before, but now the Magistrate was actually taking his family to distant shores. It was only natural for Tai-Tai to feel uneasy. But Sagwa didn't feel uneasy at all: she was utterly thrilled by this news. "Wa! The world outside of China!" she exclaimed. "Can we come too?"

"Just about everyone will be going, apart from the Cook, the Reader and Jun," Mama replied. "And as that includes you three," she added sternly, "we expect you to be on your very best behavior, especially _you_, Sagwa. You don't want a repeat of what happened at Tai-Tai's great aunt's house; now _do_ you?"

Sagwa smiled ruefully. "No, Mama."

"Well, as long there are no fancy pillows or spoiled-rotten cats around, you should do just fine!" Dongwa chuckled. "And if the Sleeve Dogs even _try_ to give you _or_ Sheegwa any trouble," he added, striking a fighting pose, "they'll have to get through _me _first!"

"Aw, thanks, Dongwa!"

"Hey, what are big brothers for?"

"Now then," Baba said, "let's finish dinner and get to bed early. We'll be leaving on a steamship for Sodor at the end of the week, and I for one want you kittens to be prepared for the change in time zones."

"What do you mean, Baba?" asked Sheegwa.

"I mean it's technically the next day on Sodor already: there's a four-hour difference in time between here and there. So it would probably best if we all got some extra sleep from now until we leave, just so we won't feel too tired."

_Wow!_ Sagwa thought, as the Miao family resumed eating. _A whole new place in a whole new time zone! This'll be great!_

The end of the week arrived quite soon, but to Sagwa, it seemed to take an eternity. All the villagers who could came to the harbour to see the imperial family off, and were warmly addressed by the Magistrate. "A very fond farewell to you all," he called, "and my very best of wishes until our return! Zaijian!" The villagers all applauded, and then, with a mighty blast of its whistle, the steamship cleared the dock and headed out to sea.

While the imperial family settled into their quarters, Sagwa, Dongwa and Sheegwa ran off to explore the ship. Dongwa, being the daredevil that he was, convinced his sisters to sneak into the kitchen with him to steal some shrimp; but they only succeeded in getting chased out by a very disgruntled chef. "You and your harebrained ideas, Dongwa!" snapped Sagwa, once she had caught her breath. "They're gonna get you, Sheegwa, me, or all three of us into some serious trouble one of these days! Believe me: I should know!"

"Oh, lighten up, Sagwa!" scoffed Dongwa. "He wasn't _that_ mad!"

"Dongwa, get real! He came after you with a wok!" a familiar voice called from above. The Miao siblings looked up to see..."Fu-Fu!" Sheegwa cried delightedly. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I thought I'd tag along to this island you kittens told me about the other day, just to see that you don't get into _too_ many scrapes," the bespectacled bat explained as he landed next to them. "And by the look of things, I was right to do so: _boy_, was that chef angry!"

Dongwa rolled his eyes. "Gee; all of a sudden it's 'Educating Dongwa Day'!" he muttered. "I'm gonna go see if there's anywhere I can practice some Kung Fu on this ship!" He walked sulkily away, while Sagwa, Sheegwa and Fu-Fu all laughed.

"Fu-Fu," said Sagwa as they made their way along the deck, "there's something about your plan I don't get: how are you supposed to find food or a roost on here?

Fu-Fu rubbed the back of his neck. "To be honest, I hadn't really thought of food," he admitted sheepishly. "But I _have_ been roosting from the ship's mast!"

"But what if it rains?" Sheegwa objected.

Fu-Fu slapped himself in the forehead. "Great bats in the belfry! I just can't believe I didn't think these things over! Oh well; I guess I'll just roost under a canopy if it rains. But enough o' _that_; what am I gonna do about food? There are hardly any bugs out here!"

Sagwa sighed. "I hope you can get by on table scraps for two weeks or so. Baba says that's how long it'll probably take to reach Sodor."

"Two weeks of _table scraps_?!" shrieked Fu-Fu. "Oh, I'll _never_ survive!" He gave a feeble moan, then fainted and fell flat on his back.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Land Ho!

As the days passed, Fu-Fu had no choice but to put up with the scraps from the imperial family's meals, brought to him by one of the cats three times a day. Luckily, he soon got used to it; and as if that wasn't good enough, whenever the ship stopped to take on more coal and water, he was able to fly out and scavenge for bugs before they set off again. The imperial family, however, soon tired of life aboard the ship in general. "If I had known I would have to sleep in that puny, secondhand room till Buddha knows when," Tai-Tai fumed one morning at breakfast, "I would _never _have agreed to come on this trip! And by the way, that awful, springy bed hurts my back!"

"Now, now, my delicate daisy," said the Magistrate, "I'm more than positive that Sir Henry will have much better accommodations for us all."

"For all our sakes, I hope you're right!"

The kittens weren't faring much better. "Hey Sagwa," said Sheegwa, "wanna race across the deck?"

"No, we did that yesterday," her sister replied. "Why don't you spin your top for awhile?"

"Nah, my tail's still sore from two days ago."

"How about exploring more of the _inside_ of the ship?" Dongwa suggested. "Last one to the boiler room is a rotten egg!"

"Oh, no you don't," said Baba severely. "Not after your little incident with the chef!"

Dongwa let out an exasperated groan. "Ugh! I'm bored out of my mind!" he complained. "If we can't think of something new to do soon, I'm gonna get cabin fever!"

Just then, Sagwa noticed her grandfather heading out of the room. "Where are you going, Yeh-Yeh?" she asked.

"Oh, just up to the ship's bow to watch the world go by," replied Yeh-Yeh. "Care to come with me, Sagwa?"

Sagwa pondered Yeh-Yeh's invitation for a moment. It didn't sound like much fun at first; but then she remembered what Woogway, the elderly tortoise who lived in the palace garden, had taught her about slowing down and admiring the world around her. "Sure! Why not?" She turned to her siblings. "You guys coming?"

Sheegwa eagerly accepted this offer, but Dongwa turned it down. "I could think of a _zillion_ better things to do than _that_!" he snorted.

"Like staying in here and getting cabin fever?" Sagwa teased.

"Huh? Oh!" exclaimed Dongwa. "On second thought, count me in!"

Yeh-Yeh led his grandchildren all the way up to the ship's bow. "Now sit back, take a deep breath, and just watch the world around you," he said. The kittens sat down and inhaled deeply. "Wa! Just smell that sea air!" whispered Sagwa.

"And fish! I can smell fish!" cried Sheegwa enthusiastically.

"I could practice T'ai-Chi up here all day long!" remarked Dongwa.

Yeh-Yeh chuckled. "I take it coming here was worth it?"

"Oh yes, Yeh-Yeh," replied Sagwa. "It's wonderful!"

"You know, Sagwa," Yeh-Yeh went on, "your grandmother and I were planning to watch the sunset tonight from here, and then get up early tomorrow morning to watch the sunrise too. Would you like to join us?"

"You bet your nine lives I would! Thank you, Yeh-Yeh! Xiexie!"

For the rest of the voyage, Sagwa made it a daily habit of hers to watch the sunrise and sunset from the ship's bow with her grandparents. During the afternoon, she would often sit by the side of the hull, lean into the wind, and let the seaspray wet her fur. Other times, she would simply lie down on her back and watch the clouds roll by, usually accompanied by Sheegwa and Fu-Fu (Dongwa stuck to T'ai Chi). _Woogway was right_, Sagwa thought serenely. _It really _is _worth it to just sit back, relax, and admire the beauty of the world around you._

Because the Magistrate wanted to show the Duke his cats' special talent for scribing, he'd brought several scrolls of paper for them to write on. One day, Sagwa asked her parents' permission to take one of these scrolls, along with a paperweight and some ink, up to the bow with her. "I don't see any reason why not, Sagwa," Baba replied. "The Magistrate has plenty more. But why do you want a scroll now?"

"You'll see soon enough," grinned Sagwa, and left the room without another word. Arrived at the bow, she set to work painting a picture of the vast blue sea that lay before her. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a large island off in the distance, with a smaller neighbouring one to its left, and thought she'd draw those in as well.

About a half hour later, Sagwa's painting was finished, and while waiting for the ink to dry, she lay down next to the side of the hull to let the cool wind whip against her fur. She then noticed that the ship was now heading toward the larger of the two islands. Sagwa's heart began to race faster and faster in excitement: could this be the Island of Sodor? Was their journey coming to a close at last?

Before she could think of anything else, her parents walked up to her. "Come along, Sagwa," said Mama. "We just overheard the captain tell the Magistrate that we'll be arriving at Sodor within the hour."

Sagwa gasped. "You mean that island over there..."

"Yes, dear!" Mama chuckled. "That's it!"

"Well then, what's that _smaller_ island over _there_?"

"That?" replied Baba. "That must be the Isle of Man. The captain _did_ say something about neighbouring islands to Sodor just the other day." Then his gaze drifted to Sagwa's picture. "So _this_ is what you've been working on all this time! Sagwa, this is lovely!"

"Our ancestor Ming Miao would envy a drawing like this!" declared Mama. "And seeing as how _his_ sprung to life, _that_ is saying something!"

Remembering what the Magistrate had said days before about her artistic skills, Sagwa beamed proudly. But as she followed her parents back to their quarters, her face soon fell: she felt sad to be leaving the ship. She'd had so much fun up at the bow that the days had flown by faster than she could count them. "Never mind, darling," comforted her father. "There's always the return journey. Besides, just think of all the fun you'll have on Sodor. Hurry along now; everyone's waiting for us."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Arrival and Meeting the Duke

As this was to be their first night spent with their host, the imperial family spent the short remainder of the voyage doing everything they could to look presentable upon their arrival. The Magistrate put on his smartest robe, while Tai-Tai fussed over Ba-Do, Luk-Do and Huang-Do with various perfumes and makeups. "Hold _still_, Ba-Do!" she ordered, dabbing at her eldest daughter's cheek with a powder-puff.

"Mama, I'm _fine_! It's not as if I'm getting married, you know!" Ba-Do cried out exasperatedly.

"I know, dear, but could you _please _just grin and bear it? It's for your father's friend, after all."

Ba-Do sighed in defeat. "Yes, Mama."

Sagwa, meanwhile, had put on her great-great-great-grandmother's special collar to wear for the evening. It was still just as ragged as it had been the day she received it, but she felt proud to wear such an important heirloom on an equally important occasion. "How do I look, Nai-Nai?" she asked her grandmother.

"Very mature, Sagwa," Nai-Nai beamed. "Our ancestor would be so proud to see her legacy live on through you."

"Are you sure you don't wanna spruce it up a little?" asked Sheegwa. "Tie some ribbons on it; now _that_ would be pretty!"

Sagwa chuckled. "No, Sheegwa. As much as I like the idea, I'd rather stay true to our family tradition. This collar may not be the seventh wonder it once was, but it's still just as precious." At that very moment, they heard the the ship's whistle, followed by three more. "We must have reached our port of call," said Baba, standing up and heading for the doorway. "Come on, everyone."

Sure enough, as the cats joined their masters on the deck, the ship was being guided into a small port by three tugboats. "Here we are," the Magistrate announced. "Arlesburgh. From what the Duke has told me in his letters, this is the toast of the Island's western coast."

"I didn't know the Magistrate could read other languages!" whispered Sagwa, amazed.

"He can't," Mama replied. "He just has someone translate for him. I wouldn't be surprised if the Duke does the same thing."

As the imperial family made their way down the gangplank and stepped out onto the quay, the Miao siblings gazed at their new surroundings. Sodor really was quite different from China: the boats in the harbour, the architecture, even people's clothes stood out. All this made the kittens feel rather uneasy at first, but they calmed down when they picked up the familiar scent of fish from some nearby nets. And when the dock-workers smiled at them in a kind, welcoming way, they began to feel a bit more at home.

The Magistrate led his family to the platform of a nearby railway station. He pulled a photograph from the sleeve of his robe, and looked this way and that. "_Well?"_ said Tai-Tai impatiently.

"I don't know what to make of it, dear," replied the Magistrate, examining the picture carefully. "The Duke said he would meet us here, but he's nowhere in sight."

"Well, he'd better show up soon," Dongwa whispered to his sisters, "because these people are starting to creep me out!" He had every right to feel that way: several people on the platform had noticed the newcomers, and were now goggling and pointing at them with interest. The Magistrate managed an awkward wave, bow and "How do you do?" back to them, but the rest of the group shrank away nervously. _Maybe this is how Signore Polo and Sir Richard felt, when they first came to our village, _Sagwa thought to herself.

Just then, a whistle sounded in the distance, and barely a minute later, a train drew into the station. It came gently to a halt, and out from one of the coaches stepped the most peculiar-looking man the kittens had ever seen. He was dressed in a bright black coat, which was longer at the back than it was at the front. And on his head, he wore a tall, funny sort of hat.

The Magistrate stared at the man in surprise, glanced at his photograph again, then smiled broadly. "Sir Henry!" he exclaimed, bowing in respect to him. "How wonderful to see you again, after such a long time!"

"Your Magistrate!" said the man, striding towards the group and bowing back. "It gives me great honour to welcome you to the Island of Sodor! Let me buy you all your tickets; we have so much to talk about!" Before Sagwa knew what was happening, the Duke had purchased train tickets for everyone (including herself, her family and Tai-Tai's Sleeve Dogs) and whisked them into his private saloon coach, whilst he went to stow their luggage away in the guard's van. _No sedan chairs?_ she thought. _Wow! This Duke knows how to get around!_

A quarter of an hour later, as the train headed back out of the station, the Magistrate introduced his family to the Duke. "Ah, yes," the Duke said graciously, "the four 'little lotus flowers' you've told me so much about. Charmed to make your acquaintances, m'ladies."

"And yours, Your Grace!" Tai-Tai replied grandly, while the daughters all giggled.

The kittens pawed at the Duke's trouser leg and meowed politely. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "And these must be your young scribes-in-training!"

"Actually, old friend," put in the Magistrate, motioning to the kittens as he spoke, "Dongwa here is more of a martial-arts-master-in-training. Sagwa, on the other hand, takes after the most renowned of her ancestors when it comes to writing. She's the finest scribe cat of her generation."

Sheegwa jumped onto the Duke's knee and nuzzled against him. "Hmm," he remarked. "Seems this little one's taken a shine to me."

"You mean little Sheegwa?" asked Tai-Tai. "Oh yes, she's very affectionate."

The Duke smiled fondly down at the tiny kitten. "Well then, Sheegwa, how would you like to be my little travelling companion up to Ulfstead?" Sheegwa purred happily and lay down in his lap. "I'll take that as a 'yes'!" the Duke chuckled, stroking her fur.

"Goody four-shoes!" Dongwa muttered enviously.

"Hey! How d'ya think _we_ feel?!" snapped Pong, as he, Ping and Pang poked their heads out from Tai-Tai's sleeves.

"Yeah!" agreed Ping. "Ignored by our own mistress! Oh, the shame of it!" Sagwa and Dongwa just laughed.

As the train rumbled slowly but surely along, the imperial family chatted with their host about this and that. Sagwa couldn't help but glow with pride when the Magistrate told the Duke how she had changed him for the better, when she fell into an inkpot and blotted out a crucial part of his unjust rule against singing. When she wasn't tuned in to their conversations, she'd be marvelling at the view outside the coach: a bright blue sky; pretty little cottages; lush, green fields; herds of sheep grazing everywhere. For one heart-stopping moment, she wondered what had become of Fu-Fu; but when he suddenly came into view and gave her a cheerful wave-only to crash into a signal-she was able to giggle to herself and relax once again.

When the railway started to climb into a mountain range, Sagwa's attention turned to the sound of the locomotive up in front of the train. As it forged ahead, its exhaust beat grew louder and louder, as if it was becoming more and more determined to make it up the hill. She could have sworn she heard a confident voice intertwined with the steady puffing, chanting, "I _think _I can! I _think _I can! I _think _I can! I _think _I can!"

_Trains can't talk, _Sagwa thought, bewildered. _Or _can _they?_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Strange Bedfellows

The Duke owned a large estate beside the ruins of an old castle, in a little town called Ulfstead. It couldn't be accessed by rail: a horse-drawn carriage had had to carry the Duke and his guests to the estate from the station closest to it.

The imperial family soon found that they had much more to learn about the way things were done on Sodor: for breakfast, they were often served split, smoked herrings called "kippers". And in the late afternoon, the Duke would treat them to tea with cream, usually accompanied by little cakes called "scones". "I can understand giving up chopsticks," Tai-Tai grumbled one evening, as she and her husband prepared for bed, "but does Sir Henry _really_ expect us to live on _split, gutted fish_?!"

"On the contrary, my cherished cherry blossom," said the Magistrate cheerfully, "I'm starting to get used to his kippers. I mean, once you look past their...appearance, they're actually quite enjoyable!"

"Well," conceded Tai-Tai, "at least he has good taste in pastries: those scones are absolutely _divine_!"

The Miao siblings, meanwhile, were making the very best of their time at the estate. Sheegwa spent her mornings chasing butterflies on the front lawn, while Dongwa tried to impress the Duke's servants with his Kung Fu, albeit without much success: all he usually got from them was an amused chuckle and an affectionate pat on the head. "What's a guy gotta do to get some attention on this island?!" he complained. "I mean, for crying out loud, how many cats can do Kung Fu?!"

Sagwa was having much better luck with getting attention. The servants were charmed by her antics and free spirit, and they took every opportunity they could to watch her write or draw, whether by the Magistrate's request or otherwise. She was especially adored by the elderly housekeeper, who told her stories about Sodor's history whenever she could.

It began all one afternoon, when Sagwa stumbled upon the Duke's grand library, where books of all colors, shapes and sizes were arranged on enormous shelves. Filled with curiosity, she carefully pawed a book out of its space, then pushed the cover open with her nose. Sagwa found that this book had its pros as well as its cons: she was enchanted by the illustrations, but she couldn't make out the writing at all. Written English seemed even more foreign to her than the very island she was on.

Fortunately for Sagwa, the housekeeper was in the library as well, on her break and sitting in an armchair. The little dark-faced cat pushed the book up to her and meowed politely. "Good heavens; what have we here?" the housekeeper smiled. "Want to hear a story, do you, dearie?" Sagwa meowed again, and bounded into her lap. The old woman chuckled warmly. "So be it!"

Referring to the book as she spoke, the housekeeper told Sagwa the story of the beloved King Godred, a famous early ruler of Sodor, who had lived in the very castle on the estate. Donning a golden crown, and joined by his knights in shining armour, Godred fought off invaders and kept the island safe. "Sadly," the housekeeper finished solemnly, "Godred's crown was stolen and hidden one fateful day, and it hasn't been seen since. True, people have tried countless times to search for the crown; but no-one's found a trace of it."

Sagwa stared with wide eyes: what a terrible thing to happen to such a wonderful ruler! "Well, that's enough for now, love," said the housekeeper, closing the book. "I'd best get back to work-you run along and play."

Sagwa especially enjoyed going outside later in the day, to wait for the trains to pass through the area. Although she couldn't see them, her ears always perked up at the sound of the engines' puffing, and she delighted in hearing the whistles blow. Dongwa couldn't understand what she got out of it. "They're just silly old hunks of metal!" he frowned. "It's not like they're shouting 'hello' to us!"

"Well, the whistle sorta takes care of that!" Sheegwa said brightly.

"Come to think of it," murmured Sagwa, "the day we arrived, _our_ train kind of sounded like it _was_ talking..."

Dongwa burst out laughing. "Quit pulling our legs, Sagwa! Trains can't talk!"

Just then, Fu-Fu, who had taken up residence in a small birch tree, flew down to join them. "Don't be so quick to judge there, Dongwa; Sagwa might be right."

"Really?" asked Sagwa hopefully.

"Sure! Why just the other day, when I was flying around the railway station, a train was just leaving-blew smoke right in my face! I _obviously_ couldn't see much, but I _did_ hear a voice say something like, 'Oh, come along; we're rather late! Oh, come along; we're rather late!', and it seemed to match up perfectly with that 'chugga-chugga' noise trains always make!"

"Oh, Fu-Fu; not you too!" Dongwa smirked. "See you daydreamers later; got things to do!" He swaggered off, still laughing. "Talking trains: that's a good one!"

"We are _not_ daydreamers!" Sagwa yelled after him. "We'll go down to the station tomorrow and prove it! _Won't_ we, Fu-Fu?"

"Sure we will-I mean, we _will_?!"

The following morning at breakfast, Sagwa asked her parents' permission to visit the railway station for awhile. "Very well, Sagwa," said Mama. "Just as long as someone goes with you."

Sagwa thanked Mama and Baba, wolfed down the rest of her food, then dashed out onto the lawn to find Fu-Fu and tell him the news. "I dunno, Sagwa," he said, rubbing the back of his neck uneasily. "I didn't much like having smoke blown at me!"

"But _you_ know the way to the station from here; don't you?"

"Oh, alright. But if I get another faceful of soot, you owe me!"

"I'll _always _owe you! Remember?" teased Sagwa, remembering how Fu-Fu was always getting her out of trouble.

With Fu-Fu scouting ahead, the two friends made their way out of the estate grounds and along a winding path. The journey on foot took much longer than Sagwa had anticipated, and it wasn't until noon that the small station at Ulfstead Road at last came into view. "Phew!" said Sagwa breathlessly. "I can see why the Duke bothers to keep horses: that trip was exhausting!"

"Not for _meeeeeeee_...D'OH!" said Fu-Fu, as he collided with a direction sign and fell flat on his back. Sagwa couldn't help but giggle. "Oh, Fu-Fu; stop being so _batty_ and let's go wait for a train!" she quipped.

"Huh! That was so funny I forgot to laugh!"

Sagwa sat down on the platform, while Fu-Fu hung from a nearby tree ("Just in case of...ya know, soot!" he said nervously). They waited for a quarter of an hour, but they could neither hear a sound, nor see a trace of any trains. Just as Sagwa was beginning to feel discouraged, she saw some people coming down the road toward the station: this might mean that a train _was_ coming after all. Sagwa cheered up at once, and even befriended some children who came over to say "hello".

Not long afterwards came the sound she'd been waiting for: the sound of an approaching locomotive's whistle. And she could just see its thick clouds of smoke and steam appearing over the treetops. As the train trundled in, Sagwa gasped in amazement: the engine bore a _face_ on its front! A face much like that of a human-only grey in colour.

Once she had gotten over her shock, Sagwa looked the engine all over with interest: it was painted a handsome shade of light brown, with bright yellow lining. It had a short, stocky body, with four wheels, a shiny brass whistle, and a small coal-tender attached to its back end.

The engine eventually noticed Sagwa, and its face broke into a gentle smile. "Hello there, little one," it said in a wise, kindly tone of voice. "What brings _you_ to these parts, eh?"

Sagwa's eyes widened. "So it's true: trains _can_ talk on this island!"

Now it was the engine's turn to goggle in shock. "Fire and smoke-a talking cat!" he exclaimed. "I _must_ be dreaming!" He shut his eyes tightly.

Sagwa grinned slyly, moved closer to the engine, and pawed at his footplate a few times. "Still asleep?" she asked jokingly, as he slowly opened his eyes.

The engine frowned indignantly, but his expression gradually softened; and then he let out a hearty guffaw. "Young rascal! Ah well: if an engine like me can talk, why not an animal like yourself?"

As his tank was being filled with water, the engine figured he and Sagwa had some time to chat. "Aren't you one of that Chinese Magistrate's cats?" he asked, studying the small kitten. "The ones His Grace claims can write with their tails?"

"Yep, and proud of it!" Sagwa beamed. "How'd you know?"

"Why, I pulled your train the day you arrived. I couldn't help but notice you when I dropped you off here."

"That's right! I just remembered-I saw you at that harbour station! Were you the one saying 'I _think _I can!' over and over again, as we went up the hill?"

"Indeed I was! You, my dear kitten, have been blessed with good ears. Allow me to introduce myself," the engine went on. "My name is Duke, and I live and work here, on the Mid Sodor Railway."

"_Duke?"_ repeated Sagwa. "Like the Duke back at the estate?"

"Yes. You see, I was named in honour of His Grace's father, Sir John Arnold Norramby. But enough about _my_ name; what's yours?"

"Sagwa. Sagwa Miao. This may sound a little embarrassing," she continued, blushing beneath her fur, "but, well, it means...it means 'silly melon head' in Chinese."

"'_Silly melon head'?! _How on Earth did you come by a name like _that_?" Duke asked incredulously.

"Well, I _can_ be kind of silly," Sagwa admitted ruefully. "My curiosity sometimes just lands me in the strangest of situations! But the reason why I got my name in the first place, was because of all the fun my parents had goofing around when they were young."

Duke chuckled warmly. "Well, _that_ explains a lot! It's certainly a privilege to meet you, Sagwa."

"You too, Duke," smiled Sagwa. _Wait till I tell Dongwa about _this_! _she crowed to herself.

Just then, a shrill whistle sounded from the far end of the train, and a green flag waved. "That'll be the guard!" said Duke, giving a quick "toot-toot" in return. "Sorry, Sagwa, but I must be off. Running late would _never_ suit His Grace. Goodbye! Goodbye!" And hooshing, "Oh, come along; we're rather late! Oh, come along; we're rather late!" in a dignified manner, Duke rolled away.

Sagwa gazed wistfully after him, until his last coach had cleared the platform. She then joined Fu-Fu back up at the road, and the two of them set off back to the estate.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Getting to Know the Engines

That night, as she and her family relaxed on the front lawn and gazed at the stars, Sagwa talked on and on about Duke. "...And he seems so wise and kind - sort of like a grandfather!"

Yeh-Yeh chuckled. "I never thought I'd be compared to a railway engine!"

Dongwa, however, remained skeptical about the matter. "We've got trains back in China, and _they _don't talk!" he pointed out. "I still say you were just daydreaming!"

"I was _not_!" Sagwa insisted heatedly. "Fu-Fu can vouch for me - and I'm pretty sure two animals can't share the same dream, Dongwa! Mama, Baba, _you_ believe me; don't you?"

Baba smiled. "I think there might be more to this island than meets the eye," he said thoughtfully. "Sir Henry himself seems obsessed with that railway: I heard him talking to the Magistrate about it just the other day. What Sagwa and Fu-Fu saw today just might be our explanation why."

"That, and the fact that Duke was named in honour of Sir Henry's father," Sagwa put in.

The cats were silent for a moment. "You're absolutely sure you could communicate with that engine, Sagwa?" Mama ventured.

"Positive. He wouldn't have responded to what I said otherwise."

Baba looked pensive again. "Maybe _that's_ to do with animals being able to talk back in China. I haven't seen any other animals talk here on Sodor. There must be some sort of connection between these engines and ourselves."

"Maybe it's magic!" squeaked Sheegwa.

"I don't think so, Sheegwa," objected Sagwa. "If Duke couldn't talk to people, why would he have spoken to _me _at all?"

"Whatever the reason may be, let's discuss it in the morning," said Mama, as she stood up and stretched herself. "It's getting late."

Over the next few days, Sagwa made a commitment to visit Ulfstead Road Station whenever she could. Sheegwa, eager to see an engine talk for herself, soon started to accompany her: being Sheegwa, she easily won Duke over! Dongwa eventually gave in to his sisters' nagging and came along as well, surprisingly enough. It wasn't long before all three Miao siblings had become firm friends with Duke. Even Fu-Fu grew to like him...once he got over his fear of having soot blown at him, that is!

"Duke," Sheegwa piped up one afternoon, "Baba thinks we have a connection with you."

Duke looked puzzled. "Connection? What _sort_ of connection, little one?"

"She means the way we can talk to you," Sagwa cut in. "I mean, you never saw an animal talk until you met me; right?"

"Indeed I had not."

"And _you_ can talk to people too; right?" continued Dongwa.

"Of course I can," wheeshed Duke with dignity. "Why do you think children wave when they see me coming?"

"Well, the thing is," explained Sagwa, "our masters have never really known that _we_ can talk, even when they're in the same room with us. Maybe all _they_ hear are just meows."

"Or maybe they just don't take the time to notice that you can," suggested Fu-Fu.

"But _you_ sure took the time, Duke!" giggled Sheegwa.

"And I'm very glad I _did_, young Sheegwa," chuckled Duke. "Very glad indeed!"

Apart from Duke, there were three other engines who worked for the Mid Sodor Railway. One was his own brother, Bertram. The two engines had the exact same shape, but different liveries - Bertram's was dark brown with red lining.

Fu-Fu and the kittens didn't often see Bertram, as he worked mainly at the nearby mines at Cas-ny-Hawin; but once in awhile, they were lucky enough to see him rumbling along, pulling trucks full of stone or gunpowder (or both), and he always gave them a courteous whistle. As they later learned from Duke, Bertram was known amongst the railwaymen as the "Old Warrior", for his steadfast sense of bravery and determination. "For an engine who works around gunpowder, he _must_ be brave!" remarked Dongwa, awed.

Then there was Tim, a small black engine whose wheels were covered by what he called "sideplates". Prior to his arrival on the Mid Sodor, he had worked for a tramway in Wales: as this had meant travelling along public roads, Tim had needed his wheels covered, to protect people and animals alike from injury, if they ever moved onto the track in front of him.

Having come from this bustling sort of environment, Tim was incredibly patient and even-tempered (if somewhat fretful), which made him more than ideal for pulling the "Horse and Cart", the railway's daily slow goods train - and if he wasn't doing that, he'd be running passenger services or helping Bertram at the mines. Because he could easily handle either goods trains or passenger trains, Tim was known as a "mixed-traffic" engine.

The fourth engine, unfortunately, proved to be a different story altogether. Sagwa and Sheegwa were chatting with Duke one lazy afternoon when a shrill whistle sounded in the distance. A few seconds later, a little blue engine came clanking in, pulling a long string of coal trucks. "Move along, you lazy lot!" he barked. "I ain't got all day, ya know!" He screeched to a violent halt, and the trucks went banging into each other, crying, "Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!"

As Sagwa and Sheegwa looked on, stunned, the engine began shouting orders to the porters heaving the coal sacks out onto the platform. "Hurry up! How can I keep time if you slackers muck about back there, eh?!"

"Fair play, young'un," Duke cut in sternly. "Those sacks aren't full of sugar, you know!"

"Ah, push off, you old fusspot!" the smaller engine snarled rudely. "Who's in charge of this stinkin' train anyway?!"

Duke drew in a deep, agitated breath. "_You_ are; but…"

"_Exactly!_ So you just shut up and mind yer own bloomin' business!" As soon as his guard's whistle blew, the blue engine stormed away, his trucks squealing and grumbling behind him. Duke watched him go, his face flushed in anger. "Impudent scallywag!" he hissed fiercely.

"Uh, Duke," ventured Sagwa, still in shock, "_who_ was _that_?"

Duke took another deep breath, trying to calm himself for the kittens' sake. "_That_, my dear Sagwa, was Albert, the Mid Sodor's resident menace!"

"You can say _that_ again!" remarked Sheegwa.

"Yeah. He looks worse than all the alley cats back home put together!" Sagwa commented. "With a few exceptions," she added quickly.

"Does Albert ever pull passenger trains?" Sheegwa asked Duke.

The old engine's temper rose once more, and he suddenly blew off steam. "Good heavens, no! It's a miracle Manager even trusts him with the 'Horse and Cart', let alone goods trains in general!"

Sheegwa jumped, frightened by Duke's sudden burst of anger, and cowered behind her sister. Seeing how distressed the tiny kitten looked, Duke quickly stopped himself. "I'm sorry, Sheegwa; you must know I'm not cross with _you_. But believe me: having Albert around makes life on the railway far from easy. His rough-and-tumble attitude will get the better of him someday - make no mistake about that."

**Well, that's all I've written so far; but I think I'll need to brainstorm if I want to continue the story, let alone this chapter. Feel free to keep on following, and any suggestions for future chapters will gladly be considered.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Onward and upward. If any of you readers are bronies, keep an eye out for a subtle reference to "Sleepless in Ponyville"! Same goes for anyone fond of SiF's Extended Railway Series, or the most recent Thomas movie, "Tale of the Brave".**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: Disaster at the Mine<p>

* * *

><p>Although the Miao siblings were glad to have new friends to talk to, they soon grew restless once again. They had seen plenty of Ulfstead Road Station - now they wanted to know what the rest of the railway was like!<p>

Dongwa, in particular, grew increasingly fascinated with the idea of hitching a ride up to Cas-ny-Hawin, to check out life at the mines. "Just imagine!" he said to his sisters. "Lots of hustle and bustle to keep up your energy; lots of workmen to watch me practice my Kung Fu; and best of all," Dongwa added, with mischief in his voice, "_huge_ explosions going off hour upon hour - _**KABOOM!**__"_

_"Aaaaaah!"_ shrieked Sheegwa.

"Haha! Made ya jump!" crowed Dongwa.

Sagwa rolled her eyes. "Real mature, Dongwa," she said sarcastically. "Anyway, why the mine? I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be allowed there: it'd be too dangerous for animals."

"Sure we'd be allowed!" objected Dongwa. "If we could help Uncle Miao with that expedition for a meteorite, who says we can't hang around a mine? Besides," he went on, with an admiring twinkle in his eye, "it'd give us a chance to get to know Bertram better."

Sagwa raised an eyebrow. "Wanna spend time with your idol, eh Dongwa?" she teased.

"He's not my idol!"

"Don't play dumb: I've heard you pretending to talk to him! 'Oh, Bertram, you're so awesome!'" Sagwa mimicked, as she struck a mock Kung Fu pose. "'_Please_ let me hang out with you! We'd be the best engine-cat team the world ever saw! _Hi-yah!'"_

Sheegwa burst into a fit of giggles, while Dongwa gave an annoyed sigh. "Alright, alright!" he conceded. "I _do_ kind of admire him. I mean, he's called the 'Old _Warrior'_, and he works with _gunpowder! _It'd be great to show him how tough _I_ am!"

"Well," admitted Sagwa, "we _do_ see Bertram a lot less often than Duke, Tim, and Albert; and he'd _definitely_ be nicer to spend time with than Albert! I guess we could at least ask Mama and Baba if we could go to the mine. _And_ see if we can get a ride up there."

Fortunately for Dongwa, Mama and Baba recalled the quest for the meteorite as well, and they decided that it was alright for him and his sisters to see the mine. "After all," said Mama, "you've all grown a bit since then."

"Just remember to be careful," warned Baba. "Bertram and the workmen have been there much more frequently than you three, so follow their advice at all times. Safety first!"

"Yes, Baba!"

* * *

><p>A few days later, in the cold light of dawn, the kittens sat, with Fu-Fu, on the platform at Ulfstead Road. The bat had thought it best that he come to the mine as well, in case there were any dangers he could spot from the air. All the quartet had to do now was wait for one of the engines to come along, and see if he could give them a ride. Sadly, the first engine they saw just so happened to be...<em>"Albert?!" <em>cried Sheegwa.

"That's me name, innit?" the little blue engine growled, as he came to a stop by the water column. "Be off with ya: I'm in a bad-enough mood as it is! That pathetic ol' worrywart Tim burst his safety valve yesterday; so now _I'm_ stuck workin' at the mine wi' Duke's brother. Pah! I expect 'e's no better than ol' Granpuff..." Albert continued to grumble as his fireman filled up his tank.

"Alright, you three: here's our chance!" whispered Fu-Fu. He strode forward, cleared his throat, and was about to speak to Albert when Sagwa pulled him back. "Are you crazy?!" she hissed incredulously. "He's _bound_ to say no. You saw how grumpy he is!"

"Yeah," Sheegwa added, trembling a little. "That big fat meanie really scares me!"

"Well then, let's see how tough he is after _I_ talk to him!" smirked Dongwa confidently, drawing himself into a Kung Fu pose.

"_No, _Dongwa," said Sagwa firmly. "We _don't_ want to make a scene in front of Albert's driver and fireman."

At that very moment, the guard from Albert's brakevan blew his whistle. "Quick!" said Dongwa, dashing along the platform. "In there!" All three kittens leapt into the van just as Albert pulled away, and Dongwa motioned to Fu-Fu to follow them from the air. "_Now_ what?" Sagwa whispered.

"Try not to let the guard see or hear you; _that's_ what!" Dongwa replied.

The Miao siblings tried hard to keep silent, but the dust in the van started to tickle Sheegwa's nose. She eventually let out a loud sneeze, grabbing the guard's attention. Although surprised to see the kittens, he was far from cross, and was kind enough share his sandwiches with them. "You three belong to the Magistrate visiting His Grace; don't you?" he smiled. "I'll have the foreman look after you once we get to the mine, and contact the estate to let your master know where you are."

Sagwa, Dongwa, and Sheegwa all felt a bit dismayed when they heard this: they had expected to be out exploring and keeping Bertram company - not be held back by the men in charge! They all agreed that they'd sneak away when the foreman wasn't looking.

* * *

><p>When Albert reached the mine, the guard gathered the kittens up and brought them to the foreman's office. Sneaking away turned out to be harder than the Miao siblings expected - they had to strain to open the office door, and then be on the lookout for any other people coming in. But at long last, they made it out into the open, and once reunited with Fu-Fu, the group set off to explore the vast quarry.<p>

Little Sheegwa was prancing merrily along, singing a little tune to herself, when she suddenly heard a rumble from behind her. In all her excitement, she had failed to realize that she was crossing a track - there, to her horror, were four heavily loaded trucks heading straight for her! Sheegwa screamed, shut her eyes, and waited for them to hit her - but they never did! Fu-Fu had seen the imminent danger from above, and flew the tiny kitten to safety just in time, while the trucks hurtled into some buffers with a loud bang. "You okay?" Fu-Fu asked, concerned.

"Y-yeah," stammered Sheegwa, sounding pretty shaken up. "Just f-f-f-fine!"

The two suddenly heard an angry voice. "For Stephenson's sake, Albert, mind how you go! Bump the trucks like that and you're likely to break something!" Bertram was talking severely to Albert - so _he_ had sent the trucks Sheegwa's way!

Fu-Fu flew angrily toward the two engines. "He very nearly broke Sheegwa's neck, thank you very much!" he snapped.

Albert only snorted derisively. "Not _my_ fault! _You_ shouldn't've been up 'ere in the first place!"

"What's going on, Fu-Fu?" Dongwa called, as he and Sagwa hurried up.

"This klutz almost got your sister run over! _That's_ what's goin' on!"

"He _what?!"_ shouted Sagwa and Dongwa together.

"Oi!" snapped Albert, staring daggers at Fu-Fu. "Who're _you_ callin' a klutz?!"

_"That's enough!"_ Bertram interjected fiercely. "Albert," he went on in a calmer tone, "keep up this nonsense, and I'll see to it that Manager gives you an earful this evening at the shed. Back to work, _now!"_ Albert just gave him a dirty look, then puffed away. Bertram turned his attention to Fu-Fu and kittens. "As much as I disagree with Albert's attitude, I'm afraid he had a valid point just now: a mine isn't exactly the right place for animals. What on Earth are you four doing here anyway?"

"Our parents said we could come!" protested Dongwa.

"We've been in places like this - well, _sort_ of like this - before!" chimed in Sagwa.

"We just wanted to get to know you, Bertram," said Sheegwa meekly. "Let us stay, _please."_

"I _am _qualified to look out for them, Bertram," added Fu-Fu helpfully.

Bertram looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, alright," he conceded. "But just make sure to stay where the foreman, the miners, or I can see you. Now then, I must get back to work. We'll have plenty of time to talk during the men's lunch break."

As Bertram headed off, a workman came striding toward the kittens. "There you are, you little rascals!" he said severely. "Back to the foreman's office with you - he was worried sick!"

Remembering what her father had said about listening to the miners' instructions, Sagwa hung her head shamefully. "Come on, guys; we better go," she said quietly, and the kittens followed along behind the workman.

* * *

><p>At lunchtime, the foreman let the Miao siblings out again, while he went to join the workmen for a chat. The trio found Bertram talking to Fu-Fu in a siding nearby, and eagerly ran to greet them. It wasn't long before all five of them were chatting and laughing together like old friends, even though this was the first time the animals had truly gotten to know Bertram. Dongwa, for one, couldn't stop talking about how brave the old engine must be to work around dangerous substances like gunpowder. "How do you even deliver it up here without getting blown up?" he asked.<p>

"It's quite simple, really, Dongwa," replied Bertram. "The gunpowder vans are usually put right in the middle of our trains, so they'll have a sort of cushion whenever we stop. Mind you, it's much more difficult if no other trucks are available, or if multiple loads are gunpowder are needed; but even _with_ extra trucks, we need to take extra care and travel slowly."

"Phew!" remarked Fu-Fu. "Talk about stressful!"

"It doesn't end there, though!" said Bertram grimly. "Gunpowder's dangerous stuff, and everyone up here at the mine _must_ be alert should a blasting go horribly wrong. I'd do _anything _to get the miners out of harm's way, even if it meant risking my life."

"Wa!" exclaimed Dongwa, awed. "No wonder they call you the 'Old Warrior' - you're not afraid of _anything!"_

"Oh, no," Bertram chuckled modestly. "I'd be afraid, alright; but sometimes the bravest thing you can do in those kinds of situations, is to face your fears head on. You remember that, little ones, and one day, you might be 'warriors' yourselves."

Dongwa grinned smugly. "In that case, I'd be a _real _tough warrior - a **Kung Fu** warrior! _Hi-yah!" _he shouted. Bertram couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

><p>Later on, Bertram had to take some loaded trucks down to the port at Arlesburgh, which meant that Fu-Fu and the kittens had no-one to talk to but Albert until he returned. Naturally, they decided to avoid the cantankerous blue engine, and explore the mine from where the workers could still see them...or at least <em>most<em> of them...

Dongwa bounded along toward the entrance to a nearby mineshaft. "Hello in there!" he called into the darkness.

_"Hello in there!" _his echo called back.

Dongwa laughed exultantly. "I bet only the bravest of the brave could go down there!"

"Yeah!" said a voice from behind him. "Too bad you're not one of them!" Dongwa turned and saw Sagwa staring bluntly at him, while Sheegwa and Fu-Fu stood by. "Hey! Who's the older sibling here?" he snapped, taking her remark as a challenge.

"Age has nothing to do with this, Dongwa," said Sagwa firmly. "We need to stay where the miners will still be able to see us."

"Besides," Sheegwa put in nervously, "it's dark and scary down there!"

"Pah!" snorted Dongwa. "Bertram wouldn't like you saying _that_, Sheegwa! Especially after we explored that old shrine with Uncle Miao! Besides, Mama and Baba said we'd grown since then!"

"They _also _said to be safe!" countered Sagwa. "And listen to Bertram and the miners' advice!"

"Well, _you_ clearly haven't been listening to Bertram!" Dongwa shot back. "We'll _never_ be 'Old Warriors' if we can't even face our fears! That's _true_ bravery!"

"Bertram only meant we should do that in life-threatening situations!"

"You're just being a fraidy cat!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am _not!"_

"Are _too!"_

"Uh," said Fu-Fu cautiously, "can I get a word in this?"

**"NO!" **Sagwa and Dongwa yelled together.

"Okay!"

"You know what, Dongwa?!" Sagwa huffed, losing her patience at last. "_Fine!_ Go in that mineshaft and show Bertram how 'brave' you are; but we're not!"

Dongwa sneered derisively at his sister. "Way to let the 'Old Warrior' down, Sagwa!" With this last biting remark, he sauntered off into the tunnel.

Sagwa glared crossly after him, until Fu-Fu's reprimanding voice brought her back to reality. "What were you thinking?!" he demanded. "You just let your own brother wander off into potential danger!"

"He w_anted_ to!" said Sagwa defensively. "I _tried_ to talk him out of it, but..."

"Your parents told you to stay where authorised personnel could see you!" continued Fu-Fu. "Dongwa might have been in the wrong to begin with; but now here _you_ go and make matters worse! Now I suggest you go in there and bring him back."

"Hmph!" Sagwa sniffed.

"_Please,_ Sagwa," Sheegwa pleaded.

Sagwa looked at the worry in her little sister's eyes, and knew that Fu-Fu was right. "Okay," she sighed, and, gathering as much courage as she could, walked slowly into the mineshaft.

* * *

><p>Little did Fu-Fu and the Miao siblings realise that disaster was about to strike. Albert was just a few yards back from the mineshaft, grumpily marshalling trucks into place. "Who does that old wart Bertram think he is, tellin' <em>me<em> how to shunt trucks properly?!" he muttered darkly. "They wouldn't know who's boss if I didn't rough 'em up!"

"Fair play, lad," said his driver. "Bertram _has_ worked here quite a bit longer than you."

"Oi! Who's side are you on?!"

"I'm on _yours, _which is why..."

"Which is why you should _mind your own bloomin' **BUSINESS!" **_Albert hollered, ramming some trucks in his frustration. The force of his blow sent them rolling away, picking up speed as they headed towards..._the entrance to the mineshaft..._

* * *

><p>Sagwa, meanwhile, had just caught up with her brother. "Dongwa, wait!" she called out to him.<p>

Dongwa only turned up his nose when he saw her. "I thought you _wanted_ me to show how brave I am!"

Sagwa sighed in shame. "I know I _said _that; but we need to go back. That's what Mama and Baba would want."

Before Dongwa could reply, they both heard Sheegwa and Fu-Fu yell, **"LOOK OUT!" **from outside the tunnel, then a loud rumbling noise. They looked back, and gasped in horror as four heavily loaded trucks came barrelling along, straight towards them! _"Dongwa, move!"_ Sagwa screamed, tackling her brother out of the way just in time.

But the trouble was only just beginning: the trucks suddenly veered off the track and smashed into a roof support, demolishing it within seconds. The tunnel walls shuddered and shook, then started to crumble! Sagwa and Dongwa turned tail and ran back toward the tunnel mouth as fast as they could, as rocks began to fall all around them. But they were too late: another avalanche had blocked their way out! The two kittens slammed on the brakes and braced themselves in fear, as more and more rocks and dirt came tumbling down...

* * *

><p>"Sagwa! Dongwa! Are you alright?!" It was Fu-Fu, calling to them from outside.<p>

"Fu-Fu!" cried Sagwa, coughing from the still settling dust. "Yes, we're fine; but we're stuck!"

"We can't come back out, or go further in!" Dongwa added.

The two eldest Miao siblings suddenly heard more anxious voices from beyond the blockage: workmen must have seen what had happened and come to investigate. Thinking quickly, both Sagwa and Dongwa started meowing at the top of their voices. After awhile, they heard one workman shout urgently to another, and then footsteps hurrying away. "It's alright, you two!" Fu-Fu called to them. "They're getting the foreman right now; I think they said something about a - um -a 'breakdown gang' too!"

"Don't worry, guys!" piped up Sheegwa. "They'll get you out! I hope," she added anxiously.

"I hope so too," murmured Sagwa. Then an even more chilling thought struck her: would she and Dongwa get out _alive? _There was only so much oxygen for the two kittens to survive on, in that small, enclosed space - they could only help that help would arrive sooner, rather than later...

* * *

><p><strong>Will Sagwa and Dongwa get out of the mineshaft in time? Stay tuned!<strong>


End file.
